Barry Phipps Photography

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ABOUT US

Barry Phipps is a fine art photographer specializing in weddings in the Chicago and Iowa City markets.

With a passion for film and for classic Leica and Hasselblad cameras,... Read more

Barry Phipps is a fine art photographer specializing in weddings in the Chicago and Iowa City markets.

With a passion for film and for classic Leica and Hasselblad cameras, Barry is one of the few photographers in the Chicago and Iowa City areas who shoots 100% film for weddings, engagement photos and event photography. However, Barry is not anti-digital by any means. He scans all of his negatives (most of which are developed himself in his darkroom) and converts the images into digital files for final presentation to the client. The result is a completely beautiful film look combined with the convenience of digital files for sharing and viewing in the modern world.

Barry is first and foremost a fine art photographer who brings an art world sensibility to his event assignments. His work is inspired by and is a continuation of mid 20th century street and art photographers such as Garry Winogrand, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander and countless others. Barry works exclusively with available light and only uses a flash when there are no other means possible. His lenses are super fast (F1 - F2), which allows for available light photography in dark indoor locations. He considers his unique approach to be an alternative to today’s typical digital photography, both in look and approach. His cameras are small, quiet, humble and discreet, and most people don’t even realize he is the “official” photographer at events, as people are used to seeing photographers with huge cameras and flashes strapped across their bodies. He uses this to his advantage, as he is able to capture candid photos mostly unnoticed.

Barry studied photography, video and painting at the Kansas City Art Institute, from which he graduated with a B.F.A. in 1990. He spent the next seven years as a member of the art rock group The Coctails, a critically acclaimed band that recorded numerous albums and toured extensively in the United States and Japan. Barry is also a DJ and is president of Beep Media, Inc., a Chicago based company of ten DJs formed in 1999. Barry runs a recording studio, North Branch Studio, as well as Tight Ship Records, a small independent record label. Barry considers himself a multi-media artist.
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PHOTOS

REVIEWS

Barry was our wedding photographer for our wedding on September 21, 2013 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA. I was planning the wedding from afar and I was so impressed that the first time Barry and I spoke on the phone he called me from the Figge where he had gone to scope out potential sites for good shots. This was even before we had booked him!

His photos are gorgeous...very natural and not overly posed or cheesy. He really captures the day in a special and beautiful way. He also uses film and scans them into digital files, which is why the light is so lovely.

Incredibly professional, easy to work with, and not at all in your face on the job, we were so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Barry. And wow, the photos made me feel like we were in a high-end wedding magazine!

Barry was our wedding photographer for our wedding on September 21, 2013 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA. I was Read more...

Barry was our wedding photographer for our wedding on September 21, 2013 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA. I was planning the wedding from afar and I was so impressed that the first time Barry and I spoke on the phone he called me from the Figge where he had gone to scope out potential sites for good shots. This was even before we had booked him!

His photos are gorgeous...very natural and not overly posed or cheesy. He really captures the day in a special and beautiful way. He also uses film and scans them into digital files, which is why the light is so lovely.

Incredibly professional, easy to work with, and not at all in your face on the job, we were so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Barry. And wow, the photos made me feel like we were in a high-end wedding magazine! Read less

Services Used: Photography

Kathryn

Wedding:

8/16/2013

5.0/5.0

First and foremost, Barry Phipps was absolutely the best wedding photographer we could have ever asked for! Not only is he a standup guy, one of those genuinely good people who add ease and happiness to your celebration... he knows what he is doing, he does it extremely well and with a great attitude! Between him and his lovely assistant Giselle (whom is also one of the most delightful people you will ever meet), you can rest assured that your day is being documented with the tender, love and care it deserves, as well as attention to the details that make you and your partner so special. After all, now that it is almost a year later his photos are what we look at to remember and relive one of the most special day of our lives. I cannot tell you how many times I have been caught looking through our photos with tears and a gigantic smile beaming across my face :)
Not only does Barry deliver his incredible images timely, they are displayed neatly and are easy to review and share with all of your guests. In retrospect, I cannot emphasize enough how important his job is and how well he did it. Barry captured the truth, the love, the beauty, the emotions, the atmosphere, the experience... and he did it with his incredible artistic abilities, which you and your family will get to cherish forever.
Barry and Giselle - Jason and I thank you a million times over!

First and foremost, Barry Phipps was absolutely the best wedding photographer we could have ever asked for! Not only is he Read more...

First and foremost, Barry Phipps was absolutely the best wedding photographer we could have ever asked for! Not only is he a standup guy, one of those genuinely good people who add ease and happiness to your celebration... he knows what he is doing, he does it extremely well and with a great attitude! Between him and his lovely assistant Giselle (whom is also one of the most delightful people you will ever meet), you can rest assured that your day is being documented with the tender, love and care it deserves, as well as attention to the details that make you and your partner so special. After all, now that it is almost a year later his photos are what we look at to remember and relive one of the most special day of our lives. I cannot tell you how many times I have been caught looking through our photos with tears and a gigantic smile beaming across my face :)
Not only does Barry deliver his incredible images timely, they are displayed neatly and are easy to review and share with all of your guests. In retrospect, I cannot emphasize enough how important his job is and how well he did it. Barry captured the truth, the love, the beauty, the emotions, the atmosphere, the experience... and he did it with his incredible artistic abilities, which you and your family will get to cherish forever.
Barry and Giselle - Jason and I thank you a million times over! Read less

Services Used: Photography

Anonymous

Wedding:

2+ years ago

5.0/5.0

Barry Phipps is certainly gifted. He is attentive and innovative with his vision. Preparing for the wedding was simple with him. You can tell he has done this before many times. The day of the wedding he was graceful and unobtrusive with his placement. He was fast at getting the photos back to me. They are beautiful! He is excellent at posed and candids. Check him out online!

Barry Phipps is certainly gifted. He is attentive and innovative with his vision. Preparing for the wedding was simple Read more...

Barry Phipps is certainly gifted. He is attentive and innovative with his vision. Preparing for the wedding was simple with him. You can tell he has done this before many times. The day of the wedding he was graceful and unobtrusive with his placement. He was fast at getting the photos back to me. They are beautiful! He is excellent at posed and candids. Check him out online! Read less

Services Used: Photography

Kate

Wedding:

5/26/2012

5.0/5.0

Barry and his lovely wife Giselle (the second shooter) are amazing, genuine people and extremely talented at what they do. We LOVE LOVE LOVE our wedding photos!

I found Barry on weddingwire and after looking at his website and loving his special way of capturing moments in an artsy way, I contacted him expecting to have him respond with a price that was way out of my price range (which he probably deserves!) He responded quickly and was priced very reasonably and was willing to work with my budget because I booked him to both photograph the wedding and to DJ (He is the owner of Beep Media, an amazing DJ company, which we were so pleased with too!) We were blown away at Barry and Giselle's professionalism and kindness. It was so nice that the only people we didn't know at our wedding ended up feeling like friends.

In talking with Barry several times, I learned that he is a very artistic person, visually-musically-and probably just in the way he lives in general. We had to drop off some DJ equipment after the event (which was extremely kind of him to let us use!). When we arrived, we had the privilege of being invited in and seeing his studio, and even looking at the negatives of our wedding shots! He uses a machine to scan the film negatives to files for easy viewing and sharing. There is just something extra about film shots that you can't get with digital.

I am an artsy, creative person and wanted wedding photos that captured our love and the many, many sentimental parts of our DIY backyard wedding. Barry out-shined any expectations I had.

Barry and his lovely wife Giselle (the second shooter) are amazing, genuine people and extremely talented at what they do. Read more...

Barry and his lovely wife Giselle (the second shooter) are amazing, genuine people and extremely talented at what they do. We LOVE LOVE LOVE our wedding photos!

I found Barry on weddingwire and after looking at his website and loving his special way of capturing moments in an artsy way, I contacted him expecting to have him respond with a price that was way out of my price range (which he probably deserves!) He responded quickly and was priced very reasonably and was willing to work with my budget because I booked him to both photograph the wedding and to DJ (He is the owner of Beep Media, an amazing DJ company, which we were so pleased with too!) We were blown away at Barry and Giselle's professionalism and kindness. It was so nice that the only people we didn't know at our wedding ended up feeling like friends.

In talking with Barry several times, I learned that he is a very artistic person, visually-musically-and probably just in the way he lives in general. We had to drop off some DJ equipment after the event (which was extremely kind of him to let us use!). When we arrived, we had the privilege of being invited in and seeing his studio, and even looking at the negatives of our wedding shots! He uses a machine to scan the film negatives to files for easy viewing and sharing. There is just something extra about film shots that you can't get with digital.

I am an artsy, creative person and wanted wedding photos that captured our love and the many, many sentimental parts of our DIY backyard wedding. Barry out-shined any expectations I had. Read less

Services Used: Photography

ChicagoIsMyHome

Wedding:

12/31/2011

5.0/5.0

We had some very unique desires and circumstances that many photographers would not be able to accomodate. Barry and his wife Giselle were ready and willing to work with us on these, both financially and professionally. It doesn't take long working with Barry to see that he is highly passionate about his work. He is knowledgeable about different eras of photography and is able to incorporate them into his work with certain angles and lenses that a lesser photographer wouldn't be keen enough to capture. He works with candid shots without sacrificing a more traditional, posed set of photos. By doing so, he provides photos that are great to send out to the family without seeming cheesy, phony, or staged. Moreover, Barry is a nice guy, responds to e-mails quickly and professionally, and works with you to make sure you get the best combination of quality and value. His wife and assistant Giselle is a sweet lady that works hard with Barry to ensure all the aforementioned qualities. If we had to choose photographers for another major occasion, it would be foolish of us to go to anyone else.

We had some very unique desires and circumstances that many photographers would not be able to accomodate. Barry and his Read more...

We had some very unique desires and circumstances that many photographers would not be able to accomodate. Barry and his wife Giselle were ready and willing to work with us on these, both financially and professionally. It doesn't take long working with Barry to see that he is highly passionate about his work. He is knowledgeable about different eras of photography and is able to incorporate them into his work with certain angles and lenses that a lesser photographer wouldn't be keen enough to capture. He works with candid shots without sacrificing a more traditional, posed set of photos. By doing so, he provides photos that are great to send out to the family without seeming cheesy, phony, or staged. Moreover, Barry is a nice guy, responds to e-mails quickly and professionally, and works with you to make sure you get the best combination of quality and value. His wife and assistant Giselle is a sweet lady that works hard with Barry to ensure all the aforementioned qualities. If we had to choose photographers for another major occasion, it would be foolish of us to go to anyone else. Read less

Services Used: Photography

Holly

Wedding:

11/11/2011

5.0/5.0

We hired Barry for our 11.11.11 wedding, and we could not be more thrilled with the results. If you're looking for amazing, very professional, blog-ready shots, Barry is your guy!

Being designers, we were very picky with how we wanted our wedding photos to look. We envisioned our big day as a stylish event, more than a traditional wedding. Barry surpassed our expectations, and produced the most chic and glamorous shots. His black and white photos, along with the polaroids are just stunning, we're talking magazine shots here.

Barry is very laid back, wears cool glasses, as has the most fabulous wife as an assistant. Our only regret is that we don't have anything coming up soon that he can shoot! We can't wait to use him again~ highly recommended!!*:.

We hired Barry for our 11.11.11 wedding, and we could not be more thrilled with the results. If you're looking for Read more...

We hired Barry for our 11.11.11 wedding, and we could not be more thrilled with the results. If you're looking for amazing, very professional, blog-ready shots, Barry is your guy!

Being designers, we were very picky with how we wanted our wedding photos to look. We envisioned our big day as a stylish event, more than a traditional wedding. Barry surpassed our expectations, and produced the most chic and glamorous shots. His black and white photos, along with the polaroids are just stunning, we're talking magazine shots here.

Barry is very laid back, wears cool glasses, as has the most fabulous wife as an assistant. Our only regret is that we don't have anything coming up soon that he can shoot! We can't wait to use him again~ highly recommended!!*:. Read less

Services Used: Photography

kmking

Wedding:

9/24/2011

5.0/5.0

Wow! That was my first reaction when I saw the photographs that Barry and Giselle (his wife and second shooter, who is not only very talented but also seems like an awesome person) took of our wedding. I don't consider myself photogenic, and although it was clear from Barry's blog that he has an artistic eye and shoots beautiful photographs that resonate with me, I wasn't sure that I would feel the same about our own. My husband (yay!) and I don't long to be the center of attention and aren't good at striking a pose for the camera. But, no need to worry about that with Barry and Giselle! They made us feel totally comfortable; we took photos before the ceremony, and hanging out with them during that time was so much fun and kept us relaxed. During the ceremony and reception, you almost forget they are taking photos because they blend in so well while capturing the moments of the evening.

And the photos? They are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I could not be happier with them.

I am so glad that Barry mentioned his photography services while corresponded about DJ services through Beep Media because I hadn't stumbled across his work in the 5 months of wedding-blog-reading and searching, and -- after seeing it -- his work was by far at the top of my list. On top of that, we got married at a newly opened space (the 2nd floor space of Revolution Brewing Company, where we had our [vegan] wedding), and Barry and Giselle stopped by to check out the space before the wedding day. Barry recommended we change the spot we had planned to get married (we got married in the reception space) based on the lighting, and I am so glad we did. He really cares about his work, goes above and beyond, and has great attention to detail, which means you can rest easy knowing you are in expert hands.

I can't recommend Barry and Giselle highly enough!

If you are looking for a DJ, we had a great experience with Beep Media, too.

Wow! That was my first reaction when I saw the photographs that Barry and Giselle (his wife and second shooter, who is not Read more...

Wow! That was my first reaction when I saw the photographs that Barry and Giselle (his wife and second shooter, who is not only very talented but also seems like an awesome person) took of our wedding. I don't consider myself photogenic, and although it was clear from Barry's blog that he has an artistic eye and shoots beautiful photographs that resonate with me, I wasn't sure that I would feel the same about our own. My husband (yay!) and I don't long to be the center of attention and aren't good at striking a pose for the camera. But, no need to worry about that with Barry and Giselle! They made us feel totally comfortable; we took photos before the ceremony, and hanging out with them during that time was so much fun and kept us relaxed. During the ceremony and reception, you almost forget they are taking photos because they blend in so well while capturing the moments of the evening.

And the photos? They are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I could not be happier with them.

I am so glad that Barry mentioned his photography services while corresponded about DJ services through Beep Media because I hadn't stumbled across his work in the 5 months of wedding-blog-reading and searching, and -- after seeing it -- his work was by far at the top of my list. On top of that, we got married at a newly opened space (the 2nd floor space of Revolution Brewing Company, where we had our [vegan] wedding), and Barry and Giselle stopped by to check out the space before the wedding day. Barry recommended we change the spot we had planned to get married (we got married in the reception space) based on the lighting, and I am so glad we did. He really cares about his work, goes above and beyond, and has great attention to detail, which means you can rest easy knowing you are in expert hands.

I can't recommend Barry and Giselle highly enough!

If you are looking for a DJ, we had a great experience with Beep Media, too. Read less

Services Used: Photography

Erin

Wedding:

7/23/2011

5.0/5.0

Highly recommend Barry!!! We had him for our 7/23/11 wedding and he was amazing. We originally met him last fall and the moment we met him and saw his work we knew we were going to go with him. We loved his style and how his photos tell a story. He doesn't do any "cheesy" photos that you see a lot with todays photographers. His photos are classic and timeless. We had an engagement shot in December right after a snowfall that turned out to be great. The photos were amazing and we used them for our save the date.

For the wedding Barry and his wife worked as a team. They were both great. People didn't even notice they were there because they blended in so well with the crowd. After the wedding we received a DVD of all the photos and a link to see them online exactly when promised. We are so happy with how the photos turned out and are thrilled to be able to have such wonderful photos to remember our day. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Barry!!!!!

Highly recommend Barry!!! We had him for our 7/23/11 wedding and he was amazing. We originally met him last fall and the Read more...

Highly recommend Barry!!! We had him for our 7/23/11 wedding and he was amazing. We originally met him last fall and the moment we met him and saw his work we knew we were going to go with him. We loved his style and how his photos tell a story. He doesn't do any "cheesy" photos that you see a lot with todays photographers. His photos are classic and timeless. We had an engagement shot in December right after a snowfall that turned out to be great. The photos were amazing and we used them for our save the date.

For the wedding Barry and his wife worked as a team. They were both great. People didn't even notice they were there because they blended in so well with the crowd. After the wedding we received a DVD of all the photos and a link to see them online exactly when promised. We are so happy with how the photos turned out and are thrilled to be able to have such wonderful photos to remember our day. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Barry!!!!! Read less

Services Used: Photography

sfhahn

Wedding:

5/29/2011

5.0/5.0

Prepare yourselves for a lengthy review :)

My husband and my wedding was in Galena, Il, at Oak Hill Weddings....an awesome venue for anyone who would love to have their wedding/reception in one location with a wide variety of options for entertainment and scenery (ie. horses/stables, barn house, general store, tents, extensive grounds, pond...).

To start....I think this rating should have multiple opportunities to give stars, so I'll make them up!!!

1. Communication and Planning--- 5 stars

Barry was great in the initial stages coordinating with us a day of schedule for pictures and working with our desires. We planned with him from the get go, and focused in on all of the events for the ceremony and reception.

2. Photography at the Ceremony and Reception-- 4 1/2-5 stars

Overall, on the actual day of I felt that Barry and his wife did a great job working with us, capturing amazing moments and were such personable, fun people to work with.Love them!!!!

Where I think I have dropped half a star has to do with the following:

Barry is a great, laid back guy. We were looking for a photographer and a photography style that was laid back, relaxed, not cheesy, not staged/posed...The issue that came up for us, was that when some of the more "formal, staged" wedding photo ops came up, we needed a little more leadership from Barry. Now.....this is probably where I should drop a half star for MYSELF, not Barry..... I never knew that in those "family portrait, multiple opinions being expressed moments" our desire for laid back, non0staged pictures would change a little.... Neither did Barry....so basically, none of us were prepared for that to happen. In sum, I'm sure Barry and his wife would do a great job if you requested for them to be leaders, take the reigns and tell you where to stand and how....we did not want that type of style, so Barry knew he didn't need to give it to us...nevertheless, the family pictures all tuned out great...

3. Photographs- 5 stars

Overall, The pictures turned out marvelously. Beautiful visions, beautiful feelings captured on film, great natural moments.....grrrrreat. The day was beautiful and Barry captured it all so well in Black and whites and colors....we were truly truly happy with all of our couples pictures as well. He caught us in naturally staged moments...ha....and was so supportive and chill.

One recommendation- be sure you know what Barry's style is before you work with him. Look through the albums he has on his website in great detail. Some of Barry's photos look washed out, over-exposed, or grainy.... we enjoyed that intentional style/feeling he created and made sure we were all on the same page beforehand.

My husband and my wedding was in Galena, Il, at Oak Hill Weddings....an awesome venue for anyone who would love to have their wedding/reception in one location with a wide variety of options for entertainment and scenery (ie. horses/stables, barn house, general store, tents, extensive grounds, pond...).

To start....I think this rating should have multiple opportunities to give stars, so I'll make them up!!!

1. Communication and Planning--- 5 stars

Barry was great in the initial stages coordinating with us a day of schedule for pictures and working with our desires. We planned with him from the get go, and focused in on all of the events for the ceremony and reception.

2. Photography at the Ceremony and Reception-- 4 1/2-5 stars

Overall, on the actual day of I felt that Barry and his wife did a great job working with us, capturing amazing moments and were such personable, fun people to work with.Love them!!!!

Where I think I have dropped half a star has to do with the following:

Barry is a great, laid back guy. We were looking for a photographer and a photography style that was laid back, relaxed, not cheesy, not staged/posed...The issue that came up for us, was that when some of the more "formal, staged" wedding photo ops came up, we needed a little more leadership from Barry. Now.....this is probably where I should drop a half star for MYSELF, not Barry..... I never knew that in those "family portrait, multiple opinions being expressed moments" our desire for laid back, non0staged pictures would change a little.... Neither did Barry....so basically, none of us were prepared for that to happen. In sum, I'm sure Barry and his wife would do a great job if you requested for them to be leaders, take the reigns and tell you where to stand and how....we did not want that type of style, so Barry knew he didn't need to give it to us...nevertheless, the family pictures all tuned out great...

3. Photographs- 5 stars

Overall, The pictures turned out marvelously. Beautiful visions, beautiful feelings captured on film, great natural moments.....grrrrreat. The day was beautiful and Barry captured it all so well in Black and whites and colors....we were truly truly happy with all of our couples pictures as well. He caught us in naturally staged moments...ha....and was so supportive and chill.

One recommendation- be sure you know what Barry's style is before you work with him. Look through the albums he has on his website in great detail. Some of Barry's photos look washed out, over-exposed, or grainy.... we enjoyed that intentional style/feeling he created and made sure we were all on the same page beforehand. Read less

Services Used: Photography

kathrynrodrigues

Wedding:

11/20/2010

5.0/5.0

We just had our wedding on November 20th so we won't have our photos back for a few weeks but I am confident that they will be amazing! Barry and his wife came to our neighborhood in October and took some engagement/lifestyle shots of us in order for us to be comfortable working with him before the wedding. The photos he took were so wonderful- we used many of them on our guest book pages at the wedding. We felt so comfortable with him very quickly. I should mention I am an artist and photographer so choosing a photographer to hire for our wedding was difficult. Once we found Barry's website and learned more about his philosophy, it was an easy decision hiring him! He uses wonderful vintage cameras and film which give his photos such a timeless, beautiful quality that is hard to get with digital. He then scans in the negatives and gives you a digital file so you can easily get prints made- the best of both worlds! He was also one of the most affordable options. The day of the wedding, Barry and his wife came early to get as many shots during daylight as possible. Once again we both felt really comfortable in front of the camera with him and we can't wait to see what the photos look like! Highly recommended!!

We just had our wedding on November 20th so we won't have our photos back for a few weeks but I am confident that they Read more...

We just had our wedding on November 20th so we won't have our photos back for a few weeks but I am confident that they will be amazing! Barry and his wife came to our neighborhood in October and took some engagement/lifestyle shots of us in order for us to be comfortable working with him before the wedding. The photos he took were so wonderful- we used many of them on our guest book pages at the wedding. We felt so comfortable with him very quickly. I should mention I am an artist and photographer so choosing a photographer to hire for our wedding was difficult. Once we found Barry's website and learned more about his philosophy, it was an easy decision hiring him! He uses wonderful vintage cameras and film which give his photos such a timeless, beautiful quality that is hard to get with digital. He then scans in the negatives and gives you a digital file so you can easily get prints made- the best of both worlds! He was also one of the most affordable options. The day of the wedding, Barry and his wife came early to get as many shots during daylight as possible. Once again we both felt really comfortable in front of the camera with him and we can't wait to see what the photos look like! Highly recommended!! Read less